The Sprout
Little Red Riding Hood
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 156 April 2021
The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Dir e c t o r s : J a net B art l a m , Ju d i B o lde r, Joh n C l e men t s ,
Mich a e l C ock m a n , A g M a c Kei t h , R o b i n Pa l m e r
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
Advertising Manager
Michael Cockman
50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Tel: 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk
Del i v e r i es
Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox
15 Seacourt Road, OX2 9LD Tel: 790648 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk
Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is
welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.
Advertisements: If you have print-ready advertisements in the correct format the
last day for booking advertising is the 10th of the month preceding publication; in all
other circumstances more advance notice will be needed. For details about exact
sizes, quality requirements, advice on text and help with production, please contact
the Advertising Manager.
Advertising rates:
½ page: 1 issue £56; 3 issues £135; 5 issues £182; 10 issues; £322
¼ page: 1 issue £28; 3 issues £67.50; 5 issues £91; 10 issues; £161
1/8 page: 1 issue £14; 3 issues £33.75; 5 issues £45.50; 10 issues; £80.50
Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The
Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription – only £12 per annum,
delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this
newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for
any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not
a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in
a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual
contributors.
All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.
The S p r out i s pri n t e d by D a t a pri n t L td, a n d p u b l i she d by N o r t h
Hin k s e y Par i s h Pub l i c a tio n s L t d , (a c o m p a ny l i m i ted b y
gua r a n t e e) R egi s t r a t ion N o . 05 6 0 9 5 3 5 .
It c a n a lso be f o u n d o n l i ne a t B o tle y H i n kse y. o r g . uk
The Sprout
Issue 156, April 2021
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
5 Bakers at the Farmers Market
9 Bring It On, Botley School
13 Botley Artists in Artweeks
17 Meet Mark Clay
21 Annual Parish Meeting
24 Trees are Precious (poem)
25 Lockdown’s Lighter Moments
27 More About Scams
31 Ka Hinga Te Arai (poem)
31 Planning Applications
33 Kennington Memory Club
35 Remaking Hinksey Trail
40 Q&A at Botley Surgery
41 Randoms
43 Local organizations
From the Editor
Welcome to the April Sprout, out as a proper booklet again at last.
If it feels a bit dense this month, that’s because there aren’t as
many advertisements – local trades are feeling the pinch. Still,
there’s plenty to ponder in this month’s issue. For instance, an
account of the Annual Parish Meeting (p21). Zoom is all very well,
but like online publication, it can exclude the older members, so
the Sprout has come to the rescue. A Patients Group Q&A session
with the medical practice (p40) provides some welcome answers to
Covid questions, and on page 27 there is some further information
about current scams. Oxford Artweeks will take place at the end of
May, and there is a preview of local artists on page 13. Our roving
reporter has done some further interviews with stallholders at the
Farmers Market (p5), the new head brings you up to date on events
at Botley School (p9), illustrated on this month’s cover, and there’s
an inspiring account of volunteering work in one of the area’s
more popular outdoor spaces (p35). Finally, the kids get a look-in
on pages 24 and 25. Happy reading!
Ag MacKeith
STOP PRESS – REFERENDUM ON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN WILL BE ON
6TH MAY. REGISTER TO VOTE BY 19TH APRIL. SEE P42 – STOP PRESS
Letters to the Editor
Hats off to our local councillors
I read the Parish Council’s Annual Newsletter with a rising sense of
optimism and gratitude for the work of our volunteer councillors. In
such a difficult year for everyone in our community, and around the
world, I feel blessed to have such public-spirited people in our
community who will continue to serve us, even when their own lives
are disrupted by the tragedy of the pandemic.
Thanks for encouraging more people to take up allotments and
looking after our precious nature reserves and Raleigh Park. Both
are a source of sanity to me and a lot of friends and neighbours.
Thanks also for speaking out for our green spaces, against the
Expressway, and being a first parish to declare a Climate
Emergency.
As we hopefully start to see some relaxation in the current
restrictions, I hope we can all put into the consultation on the
skatepark to make it great for our kids, and the neighbours.
So hats off to our local councillors for all your work for us though this
rough and rum year. Phil Bloomer
Baked Goods at the Farmers Market
We are spoiled for choice on the
baked goods front at Botley
Farmers Market. The Bitmead
Family-owned and -run Old
Farmhouse Bakery from
Steventon has admirable
standards. In the words of
Beccie, daughter of the house,
they are “a small artisan bakery
producing good old-fashioned
bread by hand, from scratch, in
small batches, using no
chemicals or preservatives, to
traditional recipes.” Casting a
glance at the array of bread and
pastries on their website, I am tempted in particular by their
wholemeal loaf with sunflower seeds and their Oxford brown
sourdough.
A bit of history: Beccie's parents, Kate and Rodney, were
established local dairy and arable farmers in Steventon. In 1980,
the village baker retired, after which Kate no longer could find good
nutritious bread anywhere nearby, so took matters into her own
hands. The family converted some barns opposite their home,
reinstated the equipment from the former bakery there, and opened
the Old Farmhouse Bakery in 1982. Beccie – a primary schoolgirl at
the time – remembers “it sounds very simple, but was in fact a major
job!”
Now, almost 30 years later, the Old Farmhouse Bakery is a well-
known fixture in the Oxfordshire area. In addition to the Steventon
base, they have a shop in Kintbury (Berks) and with their “small but
talented” team manage a presence at no fewer than eleven local
farmers markets! It's evident that Botley is fortunate to be among
them.. When I asked Shirley, one of their team, whether she noticed
anything distinctive about the Botley Market, she replied that she
was struck by the wide variety of ages and backgrounds in our
population.
Beccie makes a cogent point here: “We don't travel any further than
30 miles to attend genuine Farmers Markets. They mirror our belief
in keeping food miles down and helping to keep money circulating
within the local community. Customers can talk directly to producers
and shopping in the open air is a great benefit, particularly in current
times,.”
Wherever possible, the Bakery sources its ingredients locally. Their
eggs are delivered by a farmer from Newbury; their flour comes from
one of three Oxfordshire millers. At the actual shops, the Bakery
stocks a variety of local produce, in addition to the flour and eggs:
beer, honey, and a large selection of British farmhouse cheeses.
“As ex-dairy farmers,” says Beccie, “this is something we're
passionate about.”
Little wonder, then, that the Old Farmhouse Bakery is one of the
original Rick Stein Food Heroes, and that for the past 20 years, it
has featured in Henrietta Green's Food Lovers Guide to Britain. You
can find out more from their website:
Www.farmhousebakerycafe.co.uk
Severn Bakery But the Old Farmhouse Bakery is not the only stall
at our weekly Market to entice you with its array of tantalising breads
and croissants. Oli Chias, 31, is a young independent baker who
has created the Gloucester-based Severn Bakery and who normally
(pre-lockdown) focuses on the wholesale trade, notably with cafes.
But Oli likes to balance the wholesale side of his business with
farmers markets, finding it worth his while to make the journey to
Botley on Saturdays and Summertown on Sundays.
Oli's story is rather different from that of the Bitmead Family. He
says that he “accidentally fell into the trade”. After leaving school,
he took a general assistant job at a local supermarket in Gloucester,
and just happened to be assigned to the bakery department. As he
was quick at his own relatively limited tasks, he would offer to help
the bakers finish their work, and rapidly developed a strong interest
in the actual dough development and baking of goods. This led to
the successive opening of many doors, starting with an NVQ
apprenticeship and consequent promotion to bakery supervisor. By
the age of 21, Oli was the Bakery Manager. Not wanting to cease
learning at that point, he spent the next two years juggling his
managerial role (Wednesdays – Sundays full time) with spending
Mondays and Tuesdays in Leeds, doing a specialist Food
Manufacturing and Development qualification at a college there.
Punishing, I call it … but he WAS very young.
At 23, Oli fancied diversifying, so went to work for some six years at
a French wholesale bakery in Tewkesbury, where he enhanced his
bread skills while also becoming proficient on the patisserie side.
When Oli got a yearning for
his own business, his boss
Thierry, was especially
supportive, continuing to
employ him part-time while
he gradually transitioned to
self-employment. He even
lent him spare equipment
that he himself wasn't using
… how generous is that? I
was curious about his
motivation, and found his
reply to my question
interesting, and indicative of Oli's evident unassuming nature: “I'm
not too sure how the idea came about. Originally I didn't have any
interest in starting my own business; however I think I wanted
change and didn't see the point to just move jobs where my current
boss was such a great and supporting employer.”
Oli now is a limited company, with aspirations to hire staff post-
lockdown once the business returns to strong growth. For the
moment, it is just him, and … unsurprisingly … his devoted mum,
who helps at the weekends when his already heavy schedule is
stretched even further. I have to admit that when he showed me his
actual timetable of 12-14 hour stints on weekdays, extending to 24
continuous hours at the weekend, it was hard to see a window for
rest. Ever unperturbed, Oli replied that on Tuesdays he sleeps
between 16 and 20 hours, “so my body can catch up.” Well, he IS
dedicated!
Did he have a favourite loaf, I asked. “My favourite loaf is Ciabatta;
it has a great crust and large irregular air bubbles in the crumb – I
make this the traditional way, a process known as Double Hydration,
allowing the dough to hold a large amount of water. It has no olive
oil in the dough, as this is NOT in a traditional recipe!”
So whether you fancy a bit of double hydration, or one of the variety
of seeded brown loaves, or sourdough, or a baguette, give the
Severn Bakery a whirl. Ruth Cameron
Bring It On, Botley School!
Monday 8th March finally arrived. It was fantastic to have all our
school back in the building and to see the smiles on the pupils’ faces
and hear the excited ‘Morning Mrs Reid’ as they came through the
school gate. At lunchtime the joy on the children’s faces was won-
derful to see as they played with their friends for the first time since
December. The children have come out of the restricted attendance
period resilient, positive and full of the characteristic enthusiasm that
has been so apparent to me in the Botley School community since I
joined in September.
There are many people who contribute to that positivity. I want to
applaud the efforts of the Botley School teachers and staff who
worked so hard to deliver the spring term curriculum both remotely
and in person for the pupils who were coming to school every day.
They went above and beyond to ensure our pupils were able to ac-
cess their learning, and that they were being safeguarded to the
same high standard as would be expected in school.
I also want to say a huge ‘Thank you’ to all our parents for support-
ing the children so well with remote learning and enabling them to
build the resilience they have demonstrated this week as they
settled back into school life. Many of us at the school are also work-
ing parents, so we truly understand the effort and organisation that
went into making sure the children were online every day and ac-
cessing their learning.
Part of our remote learning plan was to try and increase our access
to laptops to provide support for pupils who had limited access at
home. We worked closely with the Dean Court Community Action
group who were able to lend our pupils a number of laptops. We
also had chrome books donated from members of the local
community. These extremely generous actions, alongside our
allotted number of laptops from the Department for Education,
allowed us to offer laptops at home for pupils who would not
otherwise have had access to learning. Thank you to all those
involved, from the people donating laptops, to the IT gurus who set
them up for our pupils to use safely.
In addition, a huge congratulations and ‘Thank you’ goes out to our
Friends of Botley School Association, who, through fundraising,
were able to donate an amazing £10,000 for new laptops and iPads
for the school. These will be an enormous help in ensuring our
pupils have the best access possible for their learning, whether
remotely or in school.
The National Lockdown hasn’t stopped us from developing our
learning spaces and celebrating some of our usual annual events.
The children were thrilled to arrive back in school and find a brand
new all-weather Multi Use Games Area in our field. With lots of new
equipment and ideas for outdoor games to play, this area has
already proved a hit with the children.
We also celebrated World Book Day. There were virtual author visits
and messages from Taylor Dolan, author of the ‘Ghost Scouts’
series and Sophie Anderson, author of ‘The Girl Who Speaks Bear’.
The children created models and dressed up as their favourite book
characters (featured on this month’s cover) and took part in various
different activities across the week. Great fun was had by all and,
most importantly, we enjoyed so many fantastic stories and books!
I am writing this in the week we will be celebrating Red Nose Day,
when we will be holding a BE A COMEDIAN competition
throughout the day, and coming to school out of uniform for the
occasion.
We are already thinking about next academic year 2021-22, in
particular about our Nursery provision. Did you know that you can
apply for a Nursery place when your child is 2 years old? Please
contact our School Office for details if you are interested.
If this term (and this year) has taught us anything, it is that we can
find ways to come together, to look after each other and celebrate
together remotely and begin to look forward with hope to the time
when we can all be together again in person. Until then stay safe
and well. Jo Reid, Headteacher
Oxfordshire Artweeks 2021 – Botley Artists
With May comes the joy of Oxfordshire Artweeks!! Once again, this
amazing festival offers you the opportunity to meet artists, to talk
about their work and enjoy a fantastic range of Art.
This year, due to some pandemic restrictions still being in place
during the Festival period, all venues have committed to be Covid-
secure to make your visit both an enjoyable and safe one. With
hand gel, ventilated spaces and masks a plenty, our artists are very
much looking forward to sharing their work with you. With safety in
mind, most venues will be by appointment only, in line with
government guidelines - so do book ahead to get your preferred
spot! Some venues, however, have decided to remain “online only”
for a further year, so please be sure to check before you visit!
We are so lucky to have several talented artists in the Botley,
Cumnor and Wootton areas and they would love you to visit over the
festival: to be inspired, entertained and delighted. You are welcome
to browse, chat and perhaps you will buy a treasure to take home
with you.Entry to all these exhibitions is free.
For reasons of space, we have restricted this list to Botley artists,
but you can find details about local artists in Cumnor and Wootton
as well on www.artweeks.org alongside information about the many
other artists taking part in the festival. For now, here is a little about
each artist showing in our area. Do book a visit. It’s the perfect way
to slowly ease out of a long winter of lockdown.
Site 67
Kate Hipkiss
Open: 8th–16th May, 11am to 6pm
Kate Hipkiss works with paper, cutting intricate designs by hand to
create layered images ranging from picturesque Oxford architecture
and landscapes to microscopic patterns found in the natural world.
She will be exhibiting a range of framed and unframed work in her
Botley studio www.katehipkiss.co.uk and https://www.instagram.com/
kate hipkiss/
Site 68
Emmett Casley
Open: 8th–9th and 15th–16th May, 11am to 5pm
Emmett works predominantly as a printmaker. He is mid study and
currently experimenting with less literal approaches to his craft. This
year’s exhibition explores printmaking and drawing, focussing on
ideas of landscapes and coexistence. http://www.emmettcasley.com/
Site 69
Mark Clay
Open: 8, 9, 12–16 May, from 10am to 6pm
Book here for an appointment: http://www.calendly.com/markrclay
Mark shares work from his recently completed Masters in Fine Art
and current projects. His work explores landscapes and industrial
history, looking for stories of transformation and change, especially
those that are overlooked or hidden in plain sight. His work takes
him to locations as close to home as Oxford and Didcot, and as far
afield as Anglesey and Orkney. www.instagram.com/mrclayox
https://www.facebook.com/MarkRClayStudio www.markrclay.co.uk
Site 70
Ali Hogg and Jane Hogg
Open: 8th–9th, 13th (to 8pm), 15th–16th May, from 10am to 6pm
Viewing by appointment only
Ali and Jane will be showing a range of work from different
practices, including: painting, drawing, collage and paper making.
https://www.instagram.com/ali.hogg/
Meet… Mark Clay
Mark Clay (seen here with his family
in Carmen Caldera’s historic record
of Botley Under Lockdown), has
been living in Botley since 2004. But
he wasn’t an artist at all until six
years ago. Well, he had done an O-
level in Technical Drawing many
years before, but he was busy being
a charity fundraiser for 25 years,
working first in Leeds and London
before moving to Oxford with his wife
Sarah. His first steps to becoming
an artist were doing fun art projects
with his young daughters Ellen and Rose, as an antidote to having a
stressful job.
But in 2015, Mark decided to challenge himself by studying for a
Diploma in Art and Design at City of Oxford College. This involved a
lot of exploration of different media – painting, drawing, sculpture
and a great deal besides. “It was kind of a quick introduction to
many forms and styles of art so that we could work out what our
own interests were, and the best decision I ever made,” he says. “I
found out that drawing is key. And once I started, I knew I wanted to
keep going.”
Mark went on to complete his MFA in Fine Arts at Oxford Brookes
last September. “By that time, my interest had really focused on
landscape and industrial history, by way of lots of other false starts,”
he says. “My subject was an abandoned railway line on Anglesey.
As well as drawn work, I did sound recordings, installations, textile
work, even some text-based art. The beauty of an MFA (and the
challenge of it) is that nobody tells you what to do. You have to
decide for yourself. A lot of my work is about how things change
over time. Some things change very slowly, for instance a railway
line becoming derelict, but other things change quickly. So, more
recently, I’ve been looking at the remarkable story of how the
German Fleet was scuttled in Orkney in 1919. Imagine watching an
entire fleet disappear beneath the waves. It must have been an
incredible and tragic sight.” (Our limited format can’t really do justice
to ‘Four Minutes Left’, but you can see the whole image in May. Ed)
One of Mark’s Anglesey-inspired pieces was short-listed for the
2020 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Only 71 drawings were
selected out of more than 4,000 entries, and Mark’s piece is now on
a brief tour of the UK with all the other shortlisted works. “I consider
myself an Oxford-grown artist,” he says, “but I’m just one of many
artists and creators in Botley and the wider area. Ellen and Rose are
also talented artists.”
Drawing has been particularly important for Mark over the past year.
“I like to travel the UK, particularly remoter places and islands,” he
says, “but over the past year I’ve had to travel in my imagination
only. It has been a real plus to have an artistic outlet during
coronavirus. Drawing has become a wonderful and immersive way
to see out the lockdown.”
Mark still works as a charity fundraising consultant, but his portfolio
of exhibition, sales and commissions is growing fast. His website
www.markrclay.co.uk gives more information, including how to
commission an artwork. In his remaining spare time, Mark likes to
run and play the piano, and he loves hill walking (especially in the
Lake District) and exploring the countryside. He is a member of the
volunteer team that is renovating the Hinksey Heights Nature Trail.
Mark will be participating in Oxfordshire ArtWeeks once again,
between 8 and 16 May. He will be showing some of his MFA work,
plus more recent work and
projects in progress. His garden
studio will also be open.
Viewings will be by appointment
only, so that numbers of visitors
can be managed in a Covid-safe
way. More information is
available on www.artweeks.org
or on his website.
Mark and his family love living in
Botley. “We like the people. We
like how easy it is to get into
Oxford, with all it has to offer,
but also to get out into the
countryside. But mostly we love
the community. We wouldn’t
want to live anywhere else in
Oxford.”
Riki Therivel
Annual Parish Meeting
I’d have preferred someone else to write this, as it is so contrary to
my past form to be complimentary about the parish council. But the
Annual Parish Meeting of 18th March was exemplary, and showed a
council at the top of their game. The presentations were enthusiastic
and well informed, and the contention around the scout hut ensured
there was an audience – up to 105, as against the more usual 40 or
so of recent years. The Chair, David Kay, maintained a friendly calm
to the end, and the efficient new Clerk, Sharon Henley, managed
Zoom and the online votes as if she’d been doing it all her life.
Lorna Berrett, Chair of the Communications Committee, kicked off
the main business with an outline of actions to meet the council’s
seven Key Objectives for their term, which ends in 2023. These are:
to conduct business in an open and transparent way
to improve the range of recreation activities (a big one, which
includes replacing the pavilion and building a skatepark)
to get the best possible value for the community from the
new shopping centre
to put the Neighbourhood Plan into place
to mitigate the climate crisis as far as possible
to provide emergency support for Covid.
She herself had led the effort to rally community support in the
Covid crisis, and we all know how effective that has been. The new
Seacourt Hall, although not used for meetings, had become the
temporary home of the Community Fridge, from which food parcels
had been delivered across the parish. Laura Jones spoke of the
community arts project, which is looking at putting the S106 money
from the shopping centre towards a mural to beautify the hideous
A34 flyover (to be discussed at the next council meeting). Chris
Church, Chair of the Environment Committee, described its work,
reminding us of the two tree planting sessions that we joined in our
hundreds in last December. He’s been part of a team developing a
tool to help parish councils nationally to deliver on climate change.
The Neighbourhood Plan, seven years in the making, has now
reached a point when it can be put to the parish in a referendum,
and this will happen as soon as lockdown restrictions allow.
After a brief account of the work of the PPG attached to the local
surgery, regularly covered in the Sprout, someone put forward a
motion that the whole parish should adopt a 20mph speed limit. A
vote showed there was a lot of support for the idea. PC take note!
Next came questions from the public. First up, people really wanted
to know when the skatepark would be built and offered to help get
things going. The idea is to have it in place by 2023, and the soon-
to-be-set-up working group will include local skate-boarders, who
are invited to come forward with their ideas. This Q&A session gave
the parish the chance to set the record straight with regard to some
anonymous posters seen around which claim the precept had gone
up by 9% this year (it was actually 1%) and that £30,000 had been
spent on legal advice around the scout hut (considerably less, and
likely to be reduced further when parish is reimbursed for costs
incurred in relation to the failed judicial review).
* * *
There was a ten-minute break, and then the meeting got down to
plans for the playing fields. Caroline Potter, Chair of Recreation and
Amenities, gave an account of the thinking behind the project. Once
the local pub had been demolished in favour of housing, Elms Rise
had lost its only meeting place. The decrepit pavilion was no longer
fit for purpose, but it would be a wasted opportunity if its
replacement did not include facilities for all the groups that meet up
the hill, including the youth club and the scouts. The scouts had
originally welcomed the plan, but then realized that no amount of
snazzy new facilities outweighed the advantages of having their own
space. A formal Parish Poll, whereby ten parishioners can require
the council to hold a referendum on an agreed motion, was
demanded. Cllr Kay pointed out that this would cost a further £3,000
of public money, and offered to hold a free public survey instead, but
to no avail. By this stage the meeting had been going on for nearly
three hours, and numbers were falling away like autumn leaves. But
there was solid support for the poll, which the Vale will administer.
The motion we’ll be asked to vote on, is that the lease for the Scouts
pavilion should be renewed for the next twenty years.
By this time it was half-past ten, and everyone was tired out. But we
had got an insight into the workings of a highly proactive and
effective parish council; and two parties of public-spirited volunteers,
who had somehow lost the ability to talk to each other, had held an
open public discussion of the issues that divided them, from which,
hopefully, all can now move forward. Ag MacKeith
Trees are precious
We need to stop deforestation,
It should be a regulation.
All the habitats destroyed,
All the animals annoyed,
No homes for the bees,
When we chop down trees.
We are at home,
In bide,
While up goes carbon dioxide.
Humans need to plant more trees
Before we are overcome with disease
Disease of hatred, and soon undeniable guilt,
As all we ever did,
was built, built, built.
We are destroying the planet
And all of us a gannet!
We need to stop this strife
To save a life.
Leah Detheridge
13 years old
Lockdown’s Lighter Moments
Facing page: Bronwynn, 4 last July,
bringing sparkle to home-schooling
in a flamenco outfit, and preparing
to escape lockdown by broomstick;
2 year-old William being a super-
hero from his high chair, with the help
of a Botley Bridges activity pack;
and Alexander (aged 4) springing
from cupboard to bunk in a black
panther outfit crafted by his dad.
Thanks to all who sent in photos
More About Scams
A local bank manager (a rare breed these days!) has got in touch
with these warnings:
“There are a number of new scams on the rise, particularly
impersonation scams. The criminals make their call or text appear
genuine by cloning the number or sender ID with one the
organisation uses (known as ‘spoofing’).
“Police Impersonation has also happened recently, where a ‘police
officer’ contacts you to warn you that staff in your local bank branch
are using counterfeit notes and your assistance is needed in an
undercover police operation. You are then instructed to come in and
make a large withdrawal, which you are to hand over to the police
for the notes to be analysed. They will return the money to your
account later that day. Once the money is handed over, of course,
you will never see it again.
“Another scam claims to be from the ‘fraud squad’ making
enquiries about suspicious payments on your account. Your account
is now compromised and you must urgently move the money to a
safe account to protect it. Once you have transferred the money,
you have lost it!”
Keen followers of Nextdoor North Hinksey will have noticed a string
of scams shared by numerous neighbours to protect each other and
reassure themselves. These include:
from ‘HMRC’ warning you will be arrested for fraud if you
don’t press 1. (But of course, the real HMRC never phone
you. They send you a letter.)
a text from ‘Royal Mail Parcels’ saying you owe them a
smallish sum, which you must pay if you want it delivered.
A call saying DPD had tried and failed to deliver a parcel,
and your only chance of getting it is to drive to a depot in
London and pick it up. The idea seems to be to trick you into
divulging your address – but if the call was genuine they
would surely know your address, so alarm bells ring!
Here’s one from Chris Pelling of Cumnor Hill: “New scam call this
morning: this one was offering a free ‘medical pendant alert’ worth
£400, offered on a government scheme to those at risk, and
sounded half-way plausible until I asked a few questions. It was for
those known to have a pre-existing health condition (I don’t) and
who are over 50 (I am). These scams seem to be a known thing in
the US, but I haven’t heard of them over here before. Beware!”
Here’s one copied from a post in FabulousFarmoor: “The latest
technique claims to be from BT, and is a threat to cut you off, and to
'do it now'. The caller then plays a disconnect sound, and places
the call on mute at their end so that if the recipient tries to make an
outgoing call, all they get is a dead line. The scammer can hear all
this as they've not hung up. They then end the call, ring the victim
back and ask for their credit card details in order to ‘avoid further
disconnection’. If you're ever unsure if it's a scam, ask the caller to
tell you your name and account number – BT will have this info,
scammers won't.“
But watch out for this: A phishing call that turned out to be
genuine! “Yesterday I had a series of texts and robotic calls to my
mobile phone claiming to be my bank, RBS, warning me a
fraudulent card activity. They turned out to be genuine! The main
mistake that RBS made was to ask me to contact a phone number
given out during the call or message, – a classic fraudster's ploy, I
thought. Eventually I decided to check as a precaution – but I used a
phone number that I knew, the one on the back of my card. It turns
out that my card had been compromised, but RBS had detected the
first fake transaction and blocked the card until they could speak
with me. Well done them! The point that I wanted to share is that if
you are concerned about warning or threatening messages – check
them out using a phone number that you already know, like the ones
on the back of your cards.”
These scam calls most likely would have originated from outside the
country, and the criminals will be hiding behind an anonymous VOIP
(Voice Over Internet Protocol, which means it can be from a
computer anywhere in the world). There’s not a lot you can do to
protect yourself, but in the case of a text, you have the option of
copying it and sending it to 7726, where it will be investigated. If it’s
an email, you can forward it to the body it purports to be from – e.g.,
HMRC – and let them know what’s being done in their name.
Otherwise, chat rooms like Nextdoor North Hinksey are a great
resource. Once you’ve learned to recognize scams for what they
are, you can share them and laugh at them, and perhaps marvel yet
again at all the ingenious ways humans find to take advantage of
each other – or not! Ag MacKeith
Ka Hinga Te Arai
!
"#$
%&
'()
**!
+,-
Christian Noble
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P21/V0403/HH
19 Arthray Rd. 2-storey side & rear
extension to provide enlarged living
space.
8 February
Target Decision
Date 5 April
P21/V0407/LDP
6 Seacourt Rd. Formation of
habitable room in roof space with
rear dormer and gable build up.
9 February
TDD: 6 April
P21/V0441/LDP
47 Raleigh Park Rd. Single storey
extension.
11 February
TDD: 8 April
P21/V0470/HH 15 Yarnells Rd. Construction of
detached single garage.
5 March
TDD: 30 April
Re-opening – Hurray!
We are aiming to re-open the Day Centre in late April or at the
beginning of May, as allowed by Government guidelines. With the
rapid local roll-out
of vaccines, all
members should
have been
vaccinated, and
the staff will have
received their jabs
and will be doing
Covid tests on
themselves
regularly too.
Initially there will
be no volunteer
helpers, so everyone within the building will be protected by the
Covid vaccine. There will also be all the necessary infection control
procedures in place, so members and their families should have
confidence that they are as safe as they possibly can be when at the
Day Centre.
Frustration compounded! With no volunteers helping out initially,
numbers of members who can attend will be limited for the time
being, but we know how
difficult it has been for those
living with dementia and their
families. We have all got
frustrated at times at the
restrictions on our lives and
had to be patient. How much
worse it must be for those
living with dementia who don’t
fully comprehend what it’s all
about, and for those caring for them, when there has been no relief
from their constant responsibility and the demands of being stuck at
home.
Members We are keen to make sure that Helen, our organizer, is
made aware of names of any potential members, so that they can
go on the waiting list. They would then be the first to be contacted
when spaces become available after re-start. Her phone number is
07853 883496. After having been severely limited in what activities
have been possible during lockdown and with restricted contact with
others outside their own household, the prospect of attending the
Day Centre will be very welcome. Carers may also look forward to
the chance of a short period of respite during the Day Centre hours.
Thank you We do owe an immense thank you to all NHS staff who
have worked so hard during this pandemic, and also to the scientists
and medics who made the vaccines available, distributed and
delivered so rapidly. Note to everyone – please, please do get your
vaccine as soon as you are offered it. It really is a case of the
sooner the better, the more the merrier! More information on
kenningtonmemoryclub.org.uk
Isobel Birse
Remaking the Hinksey Trail
The call came in April 2020 as the shackles of the first lockdown
began to loosen. It was a lengthy plea for help that appeared as a
post on the Botley Notice Board. The author was John Brimble,
owner of the land adjacent to the permissive path that runs through
the nature trail next to the Hinksey Heights Golf Club. The trail had
become immensely popular during the months of March and April
with local residents who were eager to “max-out” on their exercise
allowance. Large sections of the trail comprised lengths of wooden
boardwalk, and the additional visitor load had damaged the timbers
to the point where the trail was at risk of closure in the interests of
public safety. Urgent action was needed. John Brimble’s clarion call
was for local volunteers who were willing and physically strong
enough to take on the work of rebuilding extensive sections of the
footpath. I must have been
the first to answer the call, as
I immediately found myself
appointed as “volunteer co-
ordinator”, charged with
organising the small band of
largely inexperienced individ-
uals who had responded to
the appeal. We were a
diverse bunch, including a
nursery worker, a lawyer, a retired drilling engineer, a professional
artist and a couple of architects; we even had our own rocket
scientist (photo shows Pete Yerburgh). Preparing the ground these
days involves as much paperwork as spadework and some novel
risk assessments were produced combining the real danger of
Covid with the more customary perils of splinters and sprains. Once
we were on site, the scale of
the problem was only too
clear. There are some 3km of
paths running through 12
hectares of scrub and wetland,
set in a location ecologically
sensitive enough to qualify as
one of Oxfordshire’s official
County Wildlife Sites. The area
is criss-crossed with natural springs and the boardwalk had been
devised as a way of providing a safe, dry route over the boggiest
sections of the trail. The walk had been built by students at Peers
School (now The Oxford Academy), as part of an outdoor
educational programme and made possible with the help of a grant
from the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE). Parts were over
15 years old and the work of maintaining the path had stopped
some years before, when the school project had come to a close.
This meant that much of it was in a poor state of repair.
Fortunately, there was
a stockpile of timber
left from the original
project and a bundle
of landscaping tools
such as wheelbarrows
and spades and a few
boxes of nails and
screws to get us
started. Working in
teams of four to six, (in
photo, Pete, Hamideh
Rimaz, Mark Clay and
Henry Saunders) we
began on the worst-
affected areas – the
ones that were a danger to limb, if not life. It was tough, arduous
work; sometimes we would have to carry heavy materials nearly a
kilometre to where the repairs were needed. It was disheartening to
find areas that had been finished only the previous month had been
damaged again, and it soon became clear that a wooden boardwalk
was not a sustainable prospect, given the limited amount of human
and material resources at our disposal. Building a new wooden
section of boardwalk is expensive - around £70 per metre.
We began to look at alternative ways of developing the path,
and approached TOE once more for their advice and support. As a
result, we are now about to embark on a pilot project to replace
some areas of the boardwalk and to build new sections of path
using hard surfacing – compressed limestone chippings with proper
pipe drainage running beneath. The £2,300 cost of the materials
and tool hire has been met by TOE, and the work is due to begin in
April as the latest relaxation in the lockdown regulations is phased in
and we can work in teams once again. The result should be that
more sections of the path will be able to be enjoyed, mud-free, all
year round. The introduction of limestone paths will form the first
phase of a rebuilding of the trail (which will eventually include the
replacement of the large wooden bridge with one constructed from
more resilient materials). The first new sections of path should be
ready by the end of June.
Longer-term there is real interest in seeing the trail integrated into a
much more extensive network of long circular walks, linking with the
BBOWT site at Chilswell Valley to reach as far as the Thames at
Sandford Lock. We have registered a not-for-profit company to try
and raise the funding to support these ambitions Hinksey Trail
Regeneration CIC and donations can be made through our website,
where there is also information about how to best enjoy the trail and
the flora and fauna that you will find there. You can also visit the
website to get in touch if you would like to join our team of
volunteers.
As we approach the anniversary of our first foray onto the trail with
out wheelbarrows and spades, it is remarkable to see what has
been achieved by a small group of enthusiastic individuals, working
within a continuous cycle of lockdown restrictions. With the
approach of the new nesting season there is now a real sense of
optimism among the volunteers. We are once more looking forward
to a time where we can gather around a table at the Hinksey
Heights clubhouse and slake our thirsts with a few well-earned
beers after a long morning’s toil in the Spring sunshine. Thanks to
all who have supported us either through their sweat or their
generosity these past 12 months. To find our website, google
HinkseyTrail. Nick Thorn
Q &A to Botley/Kennington Medical Practice
Several questions were raised by the Patients Participation Group at
its meeting on 9th March. Here are the answers
Kennington Health Centre has a small indoor garden which looks
very neglected. Kennington PPG have some money which could
be used to rejuvenate the garden for the benefit of patients and
staff. It was agreed that this would be beneficial to all. The practice
has vaccinated over 5,000 patients to date.
Second doses of vaccines will start being given toward the end of
March (22nd is the proposed date), as always it is dependent on
the availability of the vaccines. Patients will be contacted by phone
(especially the elderly) or text if the practice has the phone number.
Patients are asked not to contact the practice: they will be contac-
ted when it is their turn. There may be a possibility for some patents
to book direct via an app.
Cohort 7 have gone to the Kassam Stadium, cohort 8 will be vaccin-
ated soon at the health centre. Doses will not be mixed. If your first
dose was the Pfizer, that will also be your second dose, as the vari-
ous vaccines work in different ways.
Vaccinating volunteer drivers is under consideration, and should
happen soon. There were over 60 volunteer drivers, some of whom
were helping patients in other areas, such as taking relatives to care
homes and GP appointments.
Appointment system on the day. It was explained that patients
can phone the practice to get a same day appointment, but not an
appointment for the following day. This is because the following day
must also be kept clear so that patients phoning then can get an ap-
pointment.
Answer phone: the message is now a bit shorter, but the practice is
obliged to include certain information and cannot change this.
The needs of patients with learning disability were raised. Doc-
tors explained that patients got an annual review which took over an
hour. They were aware of the need to ensure such patients’ health
needs were fully met, including cancer screening.
Date and time of next meeting 27th April at 7.30pm
Randoms
Remember Botley in Bloom? The Sprout really loved
this front garden competition and is looking
forward to doing it again. We are just waiting
to hear if the parish council is willing to be
a sponsor. Look out for an announcement
in the May Sprout, and meanwhile, start
choosing a category and making plans.
Classes will be: Best All Round;
Best Vegetable Element, and a third yet
to be decided, as car bower was so hard
to judge. We are open to suggestions.
Watch this space!
Thinking of Adopting?
Adoption charity Parents And Children Together (PACT,
www.pactcharity.org) is appealing for people from key worker
professions to consider adoption. Key workers such as nurses,
teachers, police officers, social workers, doctors, ambulance staff,
childminders and those in the care sector have the professional
experience and skills that typically make strong adopters, and they
are particularly valued by local authorities looking to place a child.
Rated outstanding by Ofsted and offering its families award-winning
adoption support services for life, PACT has been building and
strengthening families since 1911. Last year it placed 89 children
with 66 families through its adoption services. Throughout the
Covid-19 pandemic, children have continued to come into care and
the need for adoptive families is increasing.
PACT is a warm, welcoming and professional agency open to a
wide range of people including couples or single people, people
from the Black and Minority Ethnic community and LGBT+, who can
consider adopting children over four years old, sibling groups of two
or more children, children with a black or minority ethnic background
and children who may have physical or learning disabilities. You can
find out more from their website, or by phoning 0300 456 4800.
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details to
editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Jean Metson,
firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison
Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk
Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley
Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)
07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Baby & Toddler Group Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Badminton Club
Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark 0777
3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8 weeks.
Contact via website B4044path.org
Books on Wheels R.V.S. Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan
Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Community Larder
Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West Way,
contact us via Facebook or email botleylarder@gmail.com
Botley Health Walks
Wednesday 9.30am. Contact Briony on Ox 246497
Botley Library
01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865
241539 or Jackie Warner 01865 721386
Botley Singers
Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela Astley-
Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com
Cumnor Choral Society
Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142
or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett 862788
www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old School.
01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865 721026
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235 831352
or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call
863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Let’s Sing! – singing group Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email
emformusic@outlook.com
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
N Hinksey Art Group Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr 07798743121
voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council Sharon Henley, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Weds at LM pavilion, Daz on 07791 212866 or see F’book
Oxford Flood Alliance R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging Club 4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259
Oxford Harmony Men's
Acappella singing group
Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall, Contact
pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice
monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis
Club, N Hinksey
Family club: Melanie Riste 848658
melanie_riste@hotmail.com
Raleigh Park, Friends of raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk
Saturdads at
Botley Bridges
Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s
10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Michael Cockman 07766 317691
michael.cockman@gmail.com.
Shotokan Karate Club 6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Walking for Health
2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car park,
Arnolds Way. Alan 07941 610913
West Oxford Bowls Club Contact details on www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk
West Oxford Taekwon Do Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall 01865
570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A (Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Women’s Institute (Botley) Liz Manson, 244175 or liz.manson@virginmedia.com
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso tel:
07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
Bot l e y B apt i s t Hal l
We s t Way Pla c e
Cont a c t : R e v K aly a n D a s
Tel. 0 7 8 4 1 8 6 7 967
The R o s a ry R oom
Ya r nel l s Hi l l , El m s R i se
Cont a c t M a r i a Br o w n ,
Tel: 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 7 9 8 6 .
SS P e t e r & P a u l Ch u r c h
Hal l , Wes t Wa y, B o t ley
Cont a c t : 0 7 9 4 6 46 3 7 4 1 o r
osn e y b e n efi c e @ o utl o o k . co m .
Wo m e n 's I n sti t u t e Hal l ,
Nor t h H i nks e y L ane
Cont a c t : Val Wa r n er
Tel. 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 5 273
Sea c o u r t Ha l l , We s t
Way P l a c e, B o t l ey
Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,
or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk
Pav i l i o n, A r n o ld’s Wa y,
Elm s R i s e, B o t l ey
Cont a c t : D a r r en B l a s e 24 1 2 5 4
louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com
Oxf o r d R ug b y C l ub ,
Nor t h H i nks e y Vi l la g e
Contact:. Mary Bagnall
mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.
North Hinksey & Botley Churches
Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts
St. L a w ren c e , C hur c h o f E n g l a nd , No r t h Hin k s e y L a n e
1st, 2nd, 4th Sunday, Sung Eucharist 11 . 3 0 a.m .
3rd S u n d ay, M a tin s 11.30 a m
St. P e t e r a n d S t. P a u l , C h u r c h o f E n gl a n d , We s t Wa y
2nd Saturday each Month, 4–6pm Messy Church for children and carers
1st Sunday of the Month, 9.30am All Age service of Holy Communion
All other Sundays, 9.30am Holy Communion with activities for children
Every Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion at Field House
Rev C l a r e S y k e s , 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 2 345 r e v c l are @ b t i nte r n e t . co m
Our L a d y o f t h e Ro s a r y, R o m a n C a t h o lic , Ya rnel l s H ill
Sat u r d a y 6.3 0 p m . Ma s s
Sun d a y 9.1 5 a m Mas s
Fr D a n i e l L l o y d , 07 5 8 4 3 2 3 9 1 5 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Bot l e y B apt i s t Chu r c h , We st Wa y P lac e
Sun d a y S erv i c e 10. 3 0 a m .
Mid Week H o u s e G r o u p 8 . 0 0 p . m .
Fam i l y Wo r s h i p Se r v i c e 5– 6 p m o n S a t u r day
Rev K a l y an D a s 078 4 1 86 7 9 6 7 w w w. b otl e y b a pti s t c h u rch . o r g
Cal v a r y Cha p e l
Sun d a y s ervi c e s held at B o t l ey S c h o o l 1 0 . 3 0 –12 noon
Pas t o r P hil i p Vic k e r y 0 1 8 6 5 8 6 4 4 98
calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk
www.calvarychapeloxford.org.uk
Sprout
April 2021
Still nothing much in the way of meetings,
and the Library’s still shut. Some useful numbers below.
See North Hinksey Parish Council website for a comprehensive list
of all the local support groups currently in operation, as well as
advice on asking for help and looking to volunteer. It’s at
https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk/covid-19-community-hub/ If you
have something to add, please email the website manager
Councillor Lorna Berrett on lberrett.nhpc@gmail.com .
Church contact details opposite.
Oxford Hub’s email is: hello@oxfordhub.org
Phone: 07957 105129 (9-5pm Mon-Fri)
Citizens Advice Adviceline on 0300 3309 042
Woodlands Pharmacy: 01865 242649
Lloyds Pharmacy: 01865 247023
Age UK Oxfordshire offers a new telephone support line for older
people. Leave a message on 01865 411288 and they will call you
back.
Nextdoor North Hinksey is a local chatroom full of help and advice.
Anyone already on it can invite you to join, or contact the Sprout
Finally, two handy Facebook pages:
The Botley Notice Board (OXON)
and O xford Covid- 19 Mutual Aid g roup
